Pokémon Brilliant Diamond and Shining Pearl are coming to the Nintendo Switch, which has likely prompted fans to go back and look at the original games in the series in order to see what Pokémon will be appearing in the remakes.
It was revealed on Pokémon Day that Pokémon Brilliant Diamond and Shining Pearl would be arriving in 2021 and that they will be straight remakes of the originals. There is nothing to indicate that the games will add anything new to the story, though they will almost certainly have content from Pokémon Platinum. They aren't the only upcoming Pokémon games set in the Sinnoh region, as Pokémon Legends: Arceus is also on the way. Pokémon Legends: Arceus is set in Sinnoh, but it's during a time period when the land was mostly uninhabited by anything other than Pokémon.
Pokémon Diamond and Pearl represented a huge jump for the Pokémon franchise, as they added online modes to the series. They also added a ton of new Legendary and Mythical Pokémon to the titles, including the creator god itself. A lot was added in Pokémon Diamond and Pearl, which raises the question of what Pokémon fans can expect to see in the remakes?
Pokémon: The Sinnoh Pokédex
Pokémon Diamond and Pearl introduced 107 new Pokémon to the series. This was during the era when the Pokémon games included every Pokémon from the previous entries in the series. As such, Pokémon Diamond and Pearl had 493 Pokémon. The first Pokémon in the Sinnoh Pokédex was Turtwig, and the last was Arceus.
The Brilliant Diamond & Shining Pearl Pokédex
The one thing that isn't clear is exactly how many Pokémon will appear in Pokémon Brilliant Diamond and Shining Pearl. It's assumed that it will feature every Pokémon from the Sinnoh region, and it will likely include all of the Pokémon from Pokémon Sword and Shield (as it uses the same battle system), but it's unlikely that it will bring back the entire National Pokédex. It's possible that the games will add new Pokémon in through updates and DLC (like the Isle of Armor and The Crown Tundra did), but it's far too early to say whether this will be the case.
It's unclear whether the entire National Pokédex will return by the end of the Nintendo Switch generation, but it's a distinct possibility. The Switch has seen incredible popularity since its launch and Pokémon Sword and Shield are now the third best-selling entries in the series. There will likely be more mainline Pokémon games on the system, and the Switch might see a game with 1000 Pokémon, as that number is fast approaching.
Pokémon Brilliant Diamond and Pokémon Shining Pearl will be released for the Nintendo Switch in 2021.